Build an awesome gaming setup with your gaming laptop

If you are planning to build a gaming or entertainment setup with your gaming laptop and not sure how to get a head start then here are some cool tips and hacks to build an awesome setup and, the best part is at a later stage if you want to upgrade to a high-end desktop PC then it is just a matter of swapping the laptop with the PC.

Choosing the right spot

Choosing the right spot is very crucial for your setup as this is going to determine the overall aesthetics of your setup. Choosing the right spot is something of a personal preference but make sure to keep in mind the below points when you choose a spot for your setup.

• Choose a spot where you can mount the desk close to the wall, this is going to make the cable management along with setting up additional accessories much easier and this will also make the setup look a lot cleaner and neat. Setting up your desk further away from the wall will make the cables stick out giving it a very messy look.
• Make sure you disinfect the area before mounting the desk. Many households have insect or rodent infestations and your setup may end up as a breeding ground for these pests. This is also going to protect your equipment against damage.
• Try to avoid a spot where you will be facing a window even though it is covered up by a curtain or a blind. Windows with blinds or curtains will mess up the RGB lighting and also windows are usually hotspots to accumulate dust and insects, so it is better to avoid it.

Choosing the right type of Desk and Chair

Choosing the right desk and chair is something that has been overlooked by many to build their setups. Many end up using an old desk that was lying around and has been worn out, they try to cover up the imperfections with table cloth or mats in an attempt to save some money. But this is really a bad idea and can make your setup look sloppy.

The best choice is always a custom-built desk for the following reasons.

• You can build a Table with the perfect dimensions that will take up the right amount of space in your room and in the shape that you have envisioned.
• You always get the flexibility to choose the color and the texture of the desk that best suits your theme.
• You can plan the number and position of the grommet holes on your desk. This is going to be very handy when you manage the cables of all your equipment.
• The number of cabinets, desk drawers are other things that can be customized according to your needs.
• If you plan to use the corner of your room for the setup then an L-shaped or U-shaped desk will look neat and provide you with a lot of real estate for the accessories.
• The next thing would be the position and the number of cable racks that will be used for routing and placing stuff like cables and adapters.

Now if you don’t want to go over the hassle of planning and designing a custom-built desk, then you can always get great designs from retailers like IKEA, Etsy, or a retailer of your choice.

Now when it comes to a chair, then it is really not necessary that you go for a gaming chair. You must get a chair that best suits your ergonomic needs as you are going to end up spending hours at your desk. Compromising on the chair would be a dumb move as this is something that will affect your overall health and well-being. Most gaming chairs have good ergonomics with a sturdy build and also have the looks to spice up your setup.

Monitors

For a monitor, you get a vast range of choices with different sizes, display types, refresh rates, and screen resolutions. But to make the right choice depends on what you will be using it for mostly.

The display panels

Monitors come with mainly three types of display panels

TN Panels (Twisted Nematic) — This is the most budget-friendly option and you can get monitors with a TN panel for really low prices, But the low prices come with many drawbacks. A TN panel has a very limited viewing angle and you can notice color inversion while viewing from certain angles. The color reproduction and color ratios are also weak for these display types. So a TN panel is not a good choice for photo and video editing. The advantages of a TN panel are its low input lag (1ms) and high refresh rates which makes it the best choice for competitive and multiplayer gaming.

VA Panel (Vertical Alignment) — VA panels have a very good viewing angle and the best contrast ratio among the three. The color reproduction is not the best but it is better than the TN panel. You can also find monitors with a TN panel having a high refresh rate (up to 240 Hz) but the response time may not be as good as a TN panel. A VA panel is the best choice for single-player gaming and general-purpose use. It is the best choice if you don’t want to spend as much as the IPS panel but want a really good display with decent color reproduction, viewing angle, and a high contrast ratio.

IPS Panel (In-Plane switching) — IPS panels are the most expensive among the three for obvious reasons. It has the best viewing angle, the color reproduction is the best and the color ratio is quite good but not as good as a VA panel.

You can find more technical details on the different panel types here.

IPS panels are also available with a high refresh rate (up to 280 Hz) and with the new nano IPS display you can find monitors with a very low response time, but all this comes with a high cost compared to a TN or VA panel. The IPS display is the best choice for photo or video editing and can also give you the best immersive gaming experience.

If you are planning for a dual setup it is always a good idea to have a combination of monitors with different panel types or the same depending on your requirements. Having a TV as part of your setup is a very option if you spend a good amount of time watching movies, videos, or play mostly single-player games.

The TV can also be a good option as an additional monitor. Most of the latest models now come with a gaming mode which reduces the response time from your laptop and in effect you will hardly see any lag between your keyboard/mouse input and the TV.

The first time when you hook up your laptop to your TV you may experience a considerable lag between the TV and the input from your mouse or keyboard. This can be rectified by making the following changes in your display settings.

1. Make sure the refresh rate for your TV (which can be your second or third display) is set to at least 60 Hz or more from the windows display and graphical settings.
2. Change the mode of your TV to game mode. Most TVs automatically switch to the gaming mode once it detects the HDMI signal from the laptop.

Keyboard and Mouse

Though wireless keyboards and mice look great and can help in reducing cable clutter it is always a good idea to go for a wired keyboard and a mouse and the reason is better response times and performance.

Try to avoid normal membrane keyboards and go for mechanical or mechanical-like gaming keyboards. Mechanical keyboards can get really expensive but you can always find good deals and cheaper options. If you can’t find a cheap mechanical keyboard then it is always easy to find gaming keyboards that emulate a mechanical keyboard. The keystrokes and the sound can feel very much like a mechanical keyboard but it may not be perfect.

For the mouse always go with a good gaming mouse and not just an ordinary one that has only the basic buttons. a gaming mouse gives you more programmable buttons that can be quite useful for gaming and also gives you options to change the dpi with a single button press.

The icing on the cake is the RGB lighting that comes with a gaming keyboard and mouse which enhances the aesthetics and the ambiance of your setup. A gaming keyboard and mouse are not just for looks but are actually optimized to enhance your gaming experience. This can be better response times, programmable key combos, and better durability to take all the hard keystrokes during gaming.

Speakers

Choosing the right speakers depends on personal preferences. You can have anything from normal satellite speakers to a full-blown home theatre system. You must choose the right speakers that suit the size of your room and the distance you will be working away from your setup.

In a normal situation, you would be just sitting 1 to 2 feet away from the monitor. So it would be good to choose satellite speakers with a subwoofer having a 2.1 channel. This is also the best option for smaller rooms where you will be working or gaming much closer to the monitor.

It is better to avoid Bluetooth or wireless speakers and the reason is most wireless speakers may not give you the best sound quality compared to wired speakers. Also with wired speakers, you will be able to tweak and customize the sound output using the audio applications that come with your graphics card software bundle.

Choosing the right display cables

This part is really important and can make a huge difference in the viewing experience. It is quite possible that you can end up using the wrong cable for your display unit and not fully utilize all its features. The first thing to do is check the specifications of your monitor and your laptop. Check and make a note of the ports that are available on your laptop and your monitor. Most of the new gaming monitors come with features like AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync that eliminate screen tearing and also high refresh rates (up to 360 Hz). So if you want to take full advantage of all these features then always go for a display port cable.

Some gaming laptops have a mini display port, so make sure you check your laptop’s port type before making a purchase. If your laptop has a mini display port then use a mini display port cable that has the normal display port pin on one end and the mini display port pin on the other end. Most gaming monitors come with a DP cable and you can check if it meets your requirements

Display ports come in the following types.

• Display port 1.2 — Supports up to 4k @ 60Hz
• Display port 1.3 — Supports up to4k @120 Hz
• Display port 1.4 — Supports up to 8k @ 60 Hz and HDR

HDMI cables

HDMI will be the most common choice if you want to hook up your laptop to your TV or a monitor if a Display port is unavailable. HDMI cables come in the following types.

• HDMI 1.4 — This is an older version that supports up to 4k @ 24 Hz and HD @ 120 Hz.
• HDMI 2.0 — Supports up to 4k @ 60 Hz and can come with HDR support.
• HDMI 2.1 — Supports up to 10k @ 120 Hz with HDR.

More technical details on HDR can be found here.

RGB Lighting

The RGB lighting is a great add-on to spice up your setup. This also helps in setting up your desired theme and makes your setup look super cool, just make sure you don’t overdo it. The most widely used RGB lighting is the LED strip which can be attached to the back of your monitor or TV. You must use an LED strip that comes with a USB pin so that it can be directly plugged into the USB port of your TV or monitor. Some of the monitors may not have a USB port and in that case, you can use a male-to-female USB extension cable with the right length to connect the LED strip USB pin to the cable and this can be plugged into the USB port of your laptop or a USB hub. So when you switch on your laptop the LED light is also going to light up.

You can get different varieties of LED lights from a single color to multicolored and even ones that can be controlled by phone apps or a remote. Always make sure you choose the right length for the LED strips based on the size of your monitor, TV, and table. Make sure you do not expose the LED lights directly as this will look really unprofessional. LED lights look best when it is hidden and the lights reflect off a flat surface.

You can also go ahead and mount LED panels on your walls but these panels come with an expensive price tag. If you find a good deal then it is a great add-on.

Cable Management

With all the devices and accessories set up on your desk, you are going to end up with a large number of cables. Proper cable management and keeping your desk free of clutter is what’s going to make your setup stand out and appealing. So we had already discussed using a custom-built desk and this will actually help you in planning out the positions and the number of grommet holes required to route the cables to avoid clutter and keep your desk super clean.

It is always a good idea to route the cables under your desk through grommet holes which will help you in hiding out all the gritty details of your cables and wires. Another advantage of keeping the desk close to the wall is that you can sneak away some of the smaller wires behind the desk. Using cable sleeves and raceways makes a huge difference if you have many cables that are gathered into a bundle and need to be routed to another area of your desk.

It is also a good idea to use one or more USB hubs so that you don’t run out of USB ports on your laptop. This can come in very handy with all the accessories that you will be using to build your setup.

These are some cool games to get started with an awesome gaming experience.

Originally published at https://trapdoorportals.com on March 19, 2021.